Falklands’ 1986 referendum showed 94.5% favoured British sovereignty
In the light of the referendum on the political future of the Falkland Islands scheduled for March 2013, Islander Eric Goss this week provided Penguin News with historical information relating to a Sovereignty Survey conducted in 1986 that revealed a 94.5% cent vote by Islanders in favour of British sovereignty.
The results of that survey were released at a Press Reception called by the Falkland Islands Association at the Kingsley Hotel in London on April 1, 1986.
The survey itself was carried out by Marplan Limited and commissioned by the Falkland Islands Committee with the results verified by the Electoral Reform Society.
A questionnaire was sent to everyone on the electoral register in the Islands asking one question ‘What kind of sovereignty do you want for the Falkland Islands?
Of the 1,033 questionnaires sent out, 920 copies were received back, a response of 89%, one of the highest in Marplan’s experience.
The results were:
British sovereignty – 94.5 %
Independence – 1.5%
Other solution not listed – 1.2%
Two solutions selected 1.1 %
Lease-back – 1.0%
Argentine Sovereignty – 0.3%
United Nations Trusteeship – 0.3%
According to a statement on the survey, the Governor at the time, Mr Gordon Jewkes in writing to Eric Ogden, Chair of the Falkland Islands Association on April 4 said: “Early reactions locally suggest that the spread of replies over the poll’s different categories caused little surprise and apparently no serious disposition to attempt to uncover those who expressed minority opinions. However, I sense that the percentage of replies was somewhat higher than expected by Falkland Islanders. This certainly pleased them as indeed it did me.”
The results of the survey were sent to the British Prime Minister of the time Margaret Thatcher who commented: “As you know, the Government has never been in any doubt over the wish of the overwhelming majority of the Falkland Islanders to remain under British sovereignty: that wish is a key factor in our policy.”
She also wrote: “we are committed to defending the right of the Falkland Islanders to live under British sovereignty. This is not negotiable.”
In a recent Executive Council paper on the referendum scheduled for March 2013, it was noted that the Electoral Commission would assist with planning.
It also noted: “It is recommended that the election is independently observed by a panel of representatives from a number of different countries including from South America.”
It was also recommended that, “a suitable person be invited to select and Chair a diverse and independent panel of observers and set out its terms of reference”. (PN).-
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66 comments Feed
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Governor .
Try again in English, if you'd be so kind.
Ask it to Spaniards not to Argentines.
I think that “LightThink” is a BOT. you know, an AI computer hooked up to the press feed and then asked to comment on the story.
There was another one on here a while back and guess what? that one made no sense either!!
Best just to ignore it and hope it goes away...............
Didn't you know, NOTHING is ever Argentina's fault.
lts always someone else who is to blame.
They are as pure as the driven snow!
One idiot on here said that it was the lndians fault that they were killed!!!!!!!!!!!
One went to live in Argentina.
I guess the other two have, long ago, changed their minds.
next year will see an independent internationally observed official referendum on the issue with a clear unbiased and unslanted question to answer favouring A or B. And open debate in advance with both sides having the opportunity to make their cases.
Do you have a problem with Democracy?
perhaps you could also list the Voting powers in Falklands Govt of todays Governors? - hint - you wont need a big piece of paper.
also
retains “” VETO “” power on Defense,External Affairs,Internal Security,Administration of Justice.
Left or right wing, they use this for their personal gain.
Oh well, i hope things change in a future so we can all get along just fine.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenous_peoples_in_Argentina
Pity you are still stuck pn your pre-82 scratched record.(ge-dum, ge-dum, ge-dum etc).
The governor would only intervene if there was an extremist government voted in that changed the democratic system, which the Islanders complained to the governor about.
That is most unlikely to happen despite your dearest wishes.
Even if what you stated was reality, it is still a better choice than being governed by Argentina, who have to buy votes to get their president elected, and your president is not subject to questiontime. She rules like Tony Blair did, via press conference.
If the Falklnds Economy was run by Argentina, it would take less than 10 years for the Argentines to destroy it completely and make the place a wasteland.
That poor standard of government is not good enough for the Falkland Islands
what referandum !
for all i know the Islanders have agreed with Britain on a new constitution to take affect by January 1,2009.which gives to Islanders self -government but final say to Britain by way of the Governor.
As for the others- read again and you will understand that they are reserve powers - where he acts on the advice from the elected Govt and the likes of our Attorney general etc -
Yes he can overrule that advice and act on his own- if he (and UK)( have reason to believe that the local Govt is acting against its electorate, corrupt, ete etc.
UK has a responsibility to the UN Sec General as adminsitering power to ensure good fair open democratic govt in the Islands.
Take a look at Aust,NZ,Canada - you will probbaly find there that their Governor general,s can also refuse to approve dodgy business.
Now - are you going to tell me that they are not Independent either?
You have a different Constitution dont forget.
Tell me- WHO is the legal check- in the Arg Govt on your President getting up to dodgy finance deals etc etc?
There was a constant failure to respect the National Constitution during 2011, along with the international treaties (such as ILO Convention 169, the UN Declaration, the Biodiversity Convention, etc.) signed by Argentina.
Emergency Law 26160 on Indigenous Community Ownership, approved in 2006 and extended to 2013, suspends evictions from the ancestral territories and requires surveys of these to be conducted but, in practice, it has been ignored as dozens of communities have been evicted and surveys have been conducted in very few provinces due to the provincial governments’ opposition and the national government’s apathy.
Only 48 of the 1,200 communities registered by the National Institute for Indigenous Affairs, INAI, have managed to get this body to pass the corresponding administrative resolution recognising the territorial survey once conducted.
Throughout the country, calls for rights to be respected are answered with court cases and repressive action. According to a report on the “Human rights situation of the Mapuche people of Neuquén” published by the Indigenous Rights Observatory of that province, there are currently more than 250 community members being prosecuted through the courts. The slow progress made in complaints and lawsuits instituted by the communities in response to these actions is in stark contrast to the rapid conclusion of cases brought by other parties. This, along with judicial irregularities – which have given rise to requests for i
islander
dodgy finance ?
leastwise you refer the recent “” Standart Chartered,,Barclays,,HSBC “”
adventures.!
i have no idea if some Argentine officials have (or not)some connections with these banks.
Everybody does already know that islanders, which are already british, wish to remain british, who wants them not to be?
Argentina claims the land, not the people. Islanders can be whatever they want to.
www.facebook.com/BOTUK1
Argentine Sovereignty – 0.3%
I bet with you, “other solution not listed” was meant to be chilean... so still 4x more Islanders prefer to become Chilean instead of Argentine, even Chile never had the aspiration to annex them.
Argentine politics to seduce... what should we think about it? xD
There does not seem to be a “clean” bank these days I agree - luckily for us it was Standard Chartered USA who seem to be the smelly guys and not SCB London
“Argentine Sovereignty – 0.3%”
That is something...
As in the recent case of the Turks and Caicos Islands where there were allegations of serious corruption within their government back around 2009 and their government was dissolved by the UK government.
In this case (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turks_and_caicos) the return to a full democracy will occur after an election (also presumably overseen by the Elections Commission) in November this year
islander
i have a friend who is Dutch,(his wife Irish) 'son works for Standart Chartered UAE (Gulf) office as an expert...but i havent attain him to ask anythings about bank's regional countries affairs.
probably assertions are true.....if it is true the problem is plaguesome for US.
What do the british living in Malvinas know about the continent? nothing ...but nazi propaganda, sorry, monarchy propaganda I meant..
Then?
Go fool someone else...
Better BOT than BOTOX, I always say.
Maximo would then become the first Elephant Seal to find its way onto a Jamaican beach
Maybe in the Turks and Caicos Islands of Jamaica by then =)
Why is uniting with Jamaica such a good thing in your eyes Mr traitorous BK? The people of that BOT have always wanted to be British and like the Falkland islanders they want to remain British. What gives you the right to 'hope' that they join with Jamaica, why would they?
A bit of topic here in some ways, but I do think that the rights of indigenous peoples in S. America is going to be a much bigger issue in the coming decades, than it has been in the past.
With much of the rhetoric used by Argentina today, being echoed in that debate.
As we say in English “chickens coming home to roost”.
The Jamaican idea would seem best logically. I can't see the point of being part of Canada but it will be their choice. If there is strong enough demand from their population, I'm sure they will be offered a referendum on the issue.
But thats the whole point Mr BK, despite being elected with a nationalist agenda the support for independence in that territory has never been high. Surely you as a fellow Brit and as a Scot would be familiar with this kind of situation?
A change of status would only be in the people wanted it. The term “decolonisation” is really a throwback to 50 years ago IMO and a somewhat redundant word - it makes the assumption that the populace always wish to change the status quo. Sometimes they don't and that's why “self determination” is a more up to date and accurate word.
“Do you think the Islanders should recognise Argentina”
The answer should be NO ! No ! No !
I could go on and on and on.
What matters here is that we Islanders own not just the land but the right to live and work in our COUNTRY the FALKLAND ISLANDS and that right is upheld in international places which we will confirm next March again even though we do not need to because we Islanders already know what belongs to us legaly. This place is our home has been for a very long time. We did not steel it from anyone and likewise we will not let anyone steel it from us.
Is this the “give peace a chance” Argentina that CFK alludes to?
Pathetic.
Better a Falkland Islander than an Argentinian any day.
More wealth, better standard of living and better governance.
Jejeje ...“more wealth” where are the high rise buildings, hotels, shopping centers?
Oh, well, keep the islands you know where!
OR is it because all of you are so bloody jealous of just what we have in our Country. We are actually living in the present century with every bit of modern technology available to us. There are almost two cars per person. Everyone pretty much has mobile phones as well as access to the internet. We do not have unemp. We are rated as one of the top Countries in the world to visit , Argentina does not even come close to that . We don't trash each others homes as Argentines did when they so call came to liberate us in 1982. But above all we have a first class education system which is something Argentina has not otherwise we would not be seeing these deranged people putting such comments on any of the topics on Mercopress.
To sum it up That is why we are where we are today. Argentina is so backward it is trying to drag us down with it. Time now to start growing up and move forward with the succesfull ones Argentina. If your people spent as much effort in putting your own house in order as you do slagging the Islanders Argentina would be today a great Country. But untill you start changing you will stay the same. Stuck in your lost world.
Sep 10th, 2012 - 09:45 pm
I normally don't take any otice of your stupid posts, SussieUS, but this time I feel I must call you out on this one!!!!
Did you know that the wealthiest country in the world has:
2 high rise buildings
0 shopping centres/malls
6 hotels
2 police stations
Get a life SussieUS!!!!!
Las Vegas, NV USA 11:59 am
I have the best life a single argentine woman can have: single, healthy, pretty, finacially secure and residing in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
Now, is time for you Simon/Zhivago, Isolde Yensere-ly Skare and the rest of the UK team to drop dead!
So single now are we, what happened to the American husband then, eh.
Simon68 is right, you need more of a life than slagging off “bloody rubbish old English people” in this forum.
Just a suggestion, as you seem to get more wound up here than you vent anger.
Not in her birthplace of Argentina, a country we are led by other Argentine posters to be a wonderful place to live.
It can't be that good if ''the best life an Argentine woman can have'' is living in a foreign country!
Thank you Sussie for confirming what we suspected all along :)
Sep 12th, 2012 - 09:08 am
I must rush in to say that, although it is possibly not THE best place to live in, Argentina is a really nice place to live, at least Patagonia is.
The only real trouble with life in Argentina is the politicians, especially the peronist politicians, who seem to have only one aim in life; to make as much of the population as possible unhappy!!!!!!
Las Vegas, NV USA 11:59 am
“I have the best life a single argentine woman can have: single, healthy, pretty, finacially secure and residing in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.”
-----------------------------
So is that why you are living in USA and not Argentina.?
Anyways I'm astonished that there was anyone mad enough to vote for Argentina.
But, as Argieman stated on 25, Argentina only claims are for the land, not the people. As a matter of fact, some 15% of all the Argentinian population is not Argentine, but hold passports from various other countries, mainly those close to us, say, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Uruguay, Chile & Brazil. Many of these hold double nationalities, though.
(T.I.C.) Falklanders can also choose to obtain a double nationality...
;-D
I read a report from Micheal Buerk on the BBC saying pretty much the same.
The conclusions were Argentina is a great country, ruined by an inability to do politics well, or at all in fact.
It seems a shame the populace can't see CFK and her crones for what they are so their problems remain.
Rinse and repeat as the Americans would put it.
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